Fernando Torres facts for kids
Torres with Atlético Madrid in 2017
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 20 March 1984 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Fuenlabrada, Spain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Striker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Atlético Madrid B (manager) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1991 | Parque 84 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1994 | Mario's Holanda | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Rayo 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–2001 | Atlético Madrid | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2007 | Atlético Madrid | 214 | (82) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2011 | Liverpool | 102 | (65) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2015 | Chelsea | 110 | (20) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | → AC Milan (loan) | 10 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | AC Milan | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | → Atlético Madrid (loan) | 49 | (14) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Atlético Madrid | 58 | (13) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Sagan Tosu | 35 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 578 | (200) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Spain U15 | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Spain U16 | 9 | (11) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Spain U17 | 4 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | Spain U18 | 1 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | Spain U19 | 5 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Spain U21 | 10 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2014 | Spain | 110 | (38) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2024 | Atlético Madrid U19 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Atlético Madrid B | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Fernando José Torres Sanz (born 20 March 1984) is a Spanish football manager and former player. He played as a striker and is now the manager of Atlético Madrid B. When he was a young player, people called him El Niño ('The Kid') because he scored so many goals. This nickname stayed with him throughout his career.
Torres started his football journey at Atlético Madrid, coming up through their youth teams. He made his first team debut in 2001. He later moved to Premier League club Liverpool in 2007. There, he became the fastest player in Liverpool's history to score 50 league goals.
In 2011, Torres joined Chelsea for a record transfer fee for a British player. At Chelsea, he won important trophies like the FA Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and the UEFA Europa League. After a short time at AC Milan, he returned to Atlético Madrid. He helped them win the UEFA Europa League in 2018. He finished his playing career in Japan with Sagan Tosu in 2019.
Fernando Torres also played for the Spanish national team. He made his debut in 2003 and played 110 games, scoring 38 goals. This makes him Spain's third-highest goalscorer ever. With Spain, he won the UEFA European Championship in 2008 and 2012, and the FIFA World Cup in 2010. He even scored in the finals of both Euro 2008 and Euro 2012.
Contents
Starting His Football Journey
Fernando Torres was born in Fuenlabrada, Spain. He loved football from a very young age. He joined his first youth team, Parque 84, when he was just five years old. His grandfather was a big fan of Atlético Madrid, which might have inspired him.
When he was seven, Torres started playing as a striker for Mario’s Holanda. He used characters from the Captain Tsubasa anime as his inspiration. At age 10, he joined Rayo 13 and scored an amazing 55 goals in his first season. He then joined Atlético Madrid's youth system in 1995 when he was 11.
Playing for Clubs
Atlético Madrid: The Early Years
Torres moved up through the youth ranks at Atlético Madrid. He won his first big youth title in 1998. Atlético's under-15 team won the Nike Cup, a tournament for youth teams in Spain and Europe. Torres was even voted the best player in Europe for his age group.
In 1999, at 15, Torres signed his first professional contract with Atlético. He played for the youth team for a year. He made his first team debut on 27 May 2001, at the Vicente Calderón Stadium. A week later, he scored his first goal for the club.
Atlético was promoted to La Liga (Spain's top league) at the end of the 2001–02 season. Torres scored 13 goals in his first season in La Liga (2002–03). At just 19 years old, Torres became Atlético's captain. He scored 19 league goals in the 2003–04 season, making him one of the top scorers in the league.
Liverpool: Becoming a Star
In 2007, Torres joined Premier League club Liverpool. He made his first game appearance for Liverpool on 11 August 2007. His first Premier League goal came on his home debut at Anfield on 19 August 2007. He scored his first hat-trick (three goals in one game) in a League Cup match in September 2007.
Torres was named the Premier League Player of the Month in February 2008. He scored hat-tricks in two home matches in a row. By April, he had scored 29 goals in all competitions for the season. This broke a personal record for goals in a season for a Liverpool player. He was also nominated for important player awards.
In May 2008, Torres scored his 24th league goal of the season. This set a new record for the most goals by a foreign player in their first season in England. He finished as one of the top goal scorers in the Premier League.
2008–09 Season
Torres started the 2008–09 season by scoring a goal against Sunderland. He scored two goals in the Merseyside derby against Everton. He also scored two more goals against Manchester City. In December 2008, he was named among the top three players for the FIFA World Player of the Year award.
He scored two goals against Chelsea in February 2009. Torres scored his 50th goal for Liverpool on 24 May 2009. This was in his 84th game for the club.
2009–10 Season
Torres signed a new contract with Liverpool after the 2008–09 season. He scored his first hat-trick of the 2009–10 season against Hull City. He was named Premier League Player of the Month for September. His winning goal against Aston Villa in December 2009 made him the fastest Liverpool player to score 50 league goals.
Torres finished the season with 22 goals in 32 games. He was Liverpool's top scorer for the second time.
2010–11 Season
Liverpool's new manager, Roy Hodgson, said Torres would not be sold. Torres also stated his commitment to the club. He scored his first goal of the 2010–11 season against West Brom. This was his 50th goal at Anfield. He scored his final goals for Liverpool in January 2011.
Chelsea: Winning Big Trophies
On 31 January 2011, Torres moved to Chelsea. This was a record transfer fee for a British player at £50 million. He made his Chelsea debut against his old club, Liverpool. On 23 April 2011, Torres scored his first goal for Chelsea. This ended a long time without scoring.
2011–12 Season
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Torres scored his first goal of the 2011–12 season in September 2011. He scored two goals in a Champions League match against Genk in October 2011. In March 2012, he scored twice in an FA Cup quarter-final. This ended another long period without scoring.
On 24 April 2012, Torres scored a crucial last-minute goal against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final. This helped Chelsea reach the final. He scored his first hat-trick for Chelsea in a 6–1 win against Queens Park Rangers in April 2012. Torres came on as a substitute in the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final. Chelsea won the final on penalties, giving Torres his first Champions League title. He finished the season with 11 goals in 49 games.
2012–13 Season
Torres started the 2012–13 season by scoring in the 2012 FA Community Shield. He scored his first league goal of the season in August 2012. In November 2012, his former Liverpool coach, Rafael Benítez, became Chelsea's manager.
Torres scored two goals in a Champions League match in December 2012. He then scored two more goals in a league match against Sunderland. He scored in Chelsea's 2012 FIFA Club World Cup semi-final win.
On 14 March 2013, Torres scored in the Europa League. This made him the first player to score in seven different competitions in one season. He scored twice against Rubin Kazan in the Europa League quarter-final. Torres scored the first goal in Chelsea's 2–1 win over Benfica in the 2013 UEFA Europa League Final. Chelsea won the Europa League, adding another big trophy to his collection. He finished the season with 22 goals in 64 matches.
2013–14 Season
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Torres started for Chelsea's new manager, José Mourinho, in the first game of the 2013–14 season. He scored his first goal of the season in the 2013 UEFA Super Cup. In October 2013, he played his 100th game for Chelsea. He scored two goals in a 3–0 win against Schalke 04 in the Champions League. He also scored the winning goal against Manchester City in the Premier League.
AC Milan: A Short Stay
Torres joined Italian club AC Milan on a two-year loan in August 2014. He scored his first Milan goal in September, a looping header against Empoli.
Returning to Atlético Madrid
In December 2014, it was announced that Torres would return to Atlético Madrid on loan. His return was very popular, with 45,000 fans coming to see him at the stadium. He played his first game back on 7 January 2015 against Real Madrid. Eight days later, he scored two goals against Real Madrid in the Madrid derby.
On 6 February 2016, Torres scored his 100th goal for Atlético Madrid. This was in a 3–1 win against Eibar. The next month, he played his 300th game for Atlético. He scored in a 3–1 victory over Valencia. He scored in the Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona.
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Torres signed a permanent contract with Atlético in July 2016. In February 2017, he scored his 100th league goal in Spanish football. On 16 May 2018, Torres came on as a substitute as Atlético beat Marseille 3–0 in the 2018 UEFA Europa League Final. He scored two goals in his last match for Atlético.
Sagan Tosu and Retirement
Torres joined Japanese club Sagan Tosu in July 2018. He scored his first goal for the club in August in the Emperor's Cup. His first league goal came five days later. On 21 June 2019, Torres announced he would retire from football. His farewell game was on 23 August 2019 against Vissel Kobe.
Playing for Spain
Youth Success (2001–02)
In February 2001, Torres won the Algarve Tournament with the Spain under-16 team. They also won the 2001 UEFA European Under-16 Championship in May. Torres scored the only goal in the final and was the top scorer and best player of the tournament. In July 2002, he won the 2002 UEFA European Under-19 Championship with the under-19 team. Again, he scored the only goal in the final and was named the best player.
Senior Debut and Early Years (2003–06)
Torres played his first game for the Spanish senior squad on 6 September 2003. He scored his first goal against Italy in April 2004. He was chosen for Spain's squad for UEFA Euro 2004.
Torres scored 7 goals in 11 games during qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. This made him Spain's top scorer for that qualification. At his first FIFA World Cup in 2006, Torres scored three goals. He finished as Spain's top scorer in the tournament.
European Champions (2007–08)
Torres was part of Spain's squad for UEFA Euro 2008. He scored his first goal of the tournament in a 2–1 win over Sweden. Torres scored the winning goal in the final against Germany. Spain won 1–0, becoming European Champions. He was named the man of the match in the final. Torres was also named as a striker in the Team of the Tournament.
World Cup Champions (2009–10)
Torres played his 60th game for Spain in March 2009. He became the youngest player to reach this milestone. He scored his second hat-trick for Spain against New Zealand in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. This was the fastest hat-trick ever scored by a Spanish player.
Despite a knee injury, Torres was selected for Spain's 2010 FIFA World Cup squad. He came on as a substitute in the final. Spain won the World Cup for the first time, beating the Netherlands 1–0.
Euro 2012 Glory (2011–12)
Torres was part of Spain's Euro 2012 squad. He scored two goals against the Republic of Ireland. In the tournament final, Torres came on as a substitute against Italy. He scored one goal and assisted another. Spain won 4–0, winning their second European Championship in a row. Torres won the Golden Boot for being the top scorer in the tournament.
Confederations Cup Top Scorer and Final World Cup (2013–14)
Torres became the first player to score four goals in one game in a FIFA Confederations Cup match. This happened during a 10–0 win over Tahiti in 2013. He also won the tournament's Golden Shoe for scoring the most goals.
He was named in Spain's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He scored Spain's second goal in a 3–0 win over Australia.
How He Played
Torres was known for being a "technically skilled, very successful striker." He was good at finding open spaces and taking advantage of mistakes by defenders. He was also a hard-working player who would chase down opponents. Torres could also create chances for other players.
Because he scored so many goals when he was young, he was nicknamed El Niño ('The Kid'). He could score with his head and both feet. In his best years (2007-2010), he was considered one of the best strikers in the world. He was known for being very fast and a deadly finisher. However, later in his career, injuries caused him to lose some of his speed and form.
Coaching Career
On 25 July 2021, Fernando Torres became the head coach of Atlético Madrid’s Juvenil A (U19) team. On 11 June 2024, he became the head coach of Atlético Madrid B.
Personal Life
Torres's parents are José Torres and Flori Sanz. He married Olalla Domínguez Liste on 27 May 2009. They have three children: two daughters and a son.
Torres likes the books of J. R. R. Tolkien. He has a tattoo of his name in Tengwar (an Elvish script from Tolkien's books) on his left forearm. In 2011, a stadium in his hometown of Fuenlabrada was named Estadio Fernando Torres in his honor.
Honours
Atlético Madrid
- UEFA Europa League: 2017–18
- Segunda División: 2001–02
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2015–16
Chelsea
- FA Cup: 2011–12
- UEFA Champions League: 2011–12
- UEFA Europa League: 2012–13
- FIFA Club World Cup runner-up: 2012
Spain U16
- UEFA European Under-16 Championship: 2001
Spain U19
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2002
Spain
- FIFA World Cup: 2010
- UEFA European Championship: 2008, 2012
- FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 2013; third place: 2009
Individual Awards
- UEFA European Under-16 Championship Player of the Tournament: 2001
- UEFA European Under-16 Championship top scorer: 2001
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship Player of the Tournament: 2002
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship top scorer: 2002
- Liverpool Player of the Season Awards: 2007–08
- Premier League PFA Team of the Year: 2007–08, 2008–09
- Premier League Player of the Month: February 2008, September 2009
- UEFA Euro 2008 Final: Man of the Match
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2008
- Ballon d'Or third-place: 2008
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2008
- FIFA FIFPro World XI: 2008, 2009
- ESM Team of the Year: 2007–08
- FIFA Confederations Cup Silver Shoe: 2009
- UEFA European Championship Golden Boot: 2012
- FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Shoe: 2013
Decorations
- Prince of Asturias Award for Sports: 2010
- Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit: 2011
Images for kids
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Torres with Atlético Madrid in 2017
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Torres entering the pitch on his debut for Atlético Madrid on 27 May 2001
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Torres playing for Atlético Madrid in 2006
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Torres playing for Liverpool in 2008
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Torres (third from right) lining up for Liverpool in 2010
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Torres playing for Liverpool in 2010
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Torres playing for Chelsea in 2011
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Torres playing for Chelsea in the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup Final
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Torres warming up for Chelsea in 2014
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Torres warming up for Atlético Madrid in 2015
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Torres playing for Atlético Madrid in 2018
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Torres celebrating victory with Spain at UEFA Euro 2008
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Torres celebrating with Spain at Plaza de España on 12 July 2010 after winning the 2010 FIFA World Cup
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Torres (left) celebrating with Spain teammates Juan Mata and Sergio Ramos after winning UEFA Euro 2012
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Torres with Spain, holding the Golden Shoe at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup
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Torres's Tolkien tattoo can be seen on his left forearm
See also
In Spanish: Fernando Torres para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
- Estadio Fernando Torres
